Background

Children served in the child welfare system (CWS) are at greater risk of having psychological, social and developmental problems than children in the general population. However, little is known about which types of children in the CWS receive services and how services are delivered. This study will examine the mental health services received by children in the CWS, and the impact of placement types and changes over time within the context of state and regional policies regarding the use, organization and financing of mental health services.

Research

In May 1999, the Child & Adolescent Services Research Center, in collaboration with Duke University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Research Triangle Institute, received a five-year grant from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to examine the impact of placement types and changes in the CWS on provision of mental health services to children, within the context of state and regional variation in mental health care policies, structure and fiscal support.

The study will collect systems level data through the use of key informant interviews with county personnel from approximately 94 identified counties in 40 states to describe the organization of mental health services for children in the CWS and the funding mechanisms for various youth by placement type. The data will be linked to data being collected simultaneously through the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), a longitudinal study of 6,700 youth in the CWS.